The present disclosure relates to the field of infusion devices, and more particularly to peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters.
A catheter assembly for an IV catheter generally includes a flexible catheter, or catheter tube, coupled to a distal end of a catheter adapter, which can include a catheter hub. The catheter adapter retains the catheter tube so that other components can interact with the catheter tube. In order to place the catheter tube in the patient's blood vessel, an introducer needle is coupled to the catheter adapter so that the needle extends through the catheter adapter and catheter tube, with the sharp distal tip of the needle positioned just beyond the distal end of the catheter tube. The clinician uses the introducer needle to penetrate the patient's tissue and place the distal end of the catheter tube in a blood vessel.
Once the needle tip and the catheter tube are in the vessel, the clinician typically uses blood flashback to confirm that placement is correct. For example, when the needle tip and/or the catheter tube is properly placed in the vasculature of the patient, blood from the vessel may flow through the needle and/or the catheter tube into the catheter adapter. When the clinician sees the blood in the catheter adapter, the clinician knows that the distal tip of the needle and/or the distal end of the catheter tube is in place in the blood vessel. Once it is verified that the catheter is correctly placed in the blood vessel, the introducer needle is removed.
During blood flashback, blood may accumulate in the catheter tube and catheter adapter. A valve such as an elastomeric septum in the catheter adapter contains the blood in a distal chamber of the catheter adapter. It can be desired to selectively open the septum to, for example, obtain a blood sample or to deliver IV fluids to the patient. Typically a septum activator is arranged proximal the septum. When the septum activator is forced into the septum, the septum is deformed and opened, creating a flow path for collection of a blood sample or delivery of IV fluids.
In some instances it is desirable to have a reusable septum and septum activator so that the septum activator can be disengaged from the septum, and the septum will again seal, but forcing the septum activator into the septum at a later time will again break the seal and create a fluid flow path.